RESPIRATORY RISK AND RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

The respiratory protective devices are III category PPE, due to high risk of death in case of contamination of the respiratory tract. Indeed, the serious damages caused by the inhalation of harmful and toxic substances make the respiratory risk one of the highest risks to human health and safety.

 

RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT - CRITERIA FOR THE CHOICE

During any activity in which respiratory conditions are abnormal and in which there is a high respiratory risk, it is necessary to protect oneself by using an appropriate respirator, which must be chosen according to conditions of the air and the quantity of oxygen and contaminants in it.

 

AIR COMPOSITION	RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
	Oxigen(O2) >17%	FILTERING DEVICES They filter effectively the air which is contaminated by gases, vapours, dusts, fumes and mists. They are used when the nature and the concentration of contaminants in the air are known and when you can perceive the odour.	COFRA DEVICES DUSTS, SMOKES AND MISTS FILTERING HALF MASKS TO PROTECT AGAINST PARTICLES - EN 149 GASES, VAPOURS, DUSTS, SMOKES AND MISTS HALF MASKS AND QUARTER MASKS - EN 140 FULL FACE MASKS - EN 136 DUST FILTERS - EN 143 GAS FILTERS AND COMBINED FILTERS - EN 14387
	Oxigen(O2) <17%	INSULATING RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT They isolate the user from the contaminated air by providing clean air taken from a source outside the contaminated environment or compressed air contained in suitable air cylinders. They can be used when nature and concentrations of contaminants in the air are not known, when the odour is not perceivable and when there are non filterable substances.

 

TLV AND CLASSIFICATION OF CONTAMINANTS

The TLV is the value that indicates the threshold limit concentration  of dangerous substances to which a worker can be exposed without adverse effects to health (prolonged exposure up to a work shift).
If the concentration of toxic contaminants in the ambient air is above the TLV (Threshold Limit Value) you need to protect yourself by using a  respiratory protective device.

Listed here below the different types of hazardous contaminants to human health:

Dusts: little solid particles suspended in the air deriving from the crushing of solid material. Example: milling, grinding, smoothing and abrasive processes;

Smokes: very little solid particles deriving from vaporizing process and then condensation in solid material due to high heat. Example: foundry, welding and flame cutting processes;

Mists: little droplets of liquid materials deriving from atomization process of liquid materials. Example: plating, blending or production of metal dust;

Gases: substances similar to air in terms of diffusion in the environment. Gases such as carbon monoxide; carbon dioxide; nitrogen and helium;

Vapours: it is the gaseous state of substances that are solid or liquid in nature, so they generate from the evaporation of solids and liquids. Petroleum, for example, is liquid but it evaporates easily producing vapour; diluents and solvents produce vapours, too.